by Kelly Wilbanks posted in Products & Prizes

"Bah, pak! Bah, pak! Bah, pak!" announces my delighted 15-month-old when she sees her favorite hiking backpack in the garage. She can now load herself in and smiles big as she waits to be buckled. We have the Deuter Kid Comfort III Carrier so it's no wonder our kid is excited to go for a ride.

The first real overnight hiking trip I took was brutal. I went with a bunch of trained hikers who looked like they had bought out REI. Since I was a newbie they shared their gear and their expertise, and even helped me carry the extra items I thought necessary until I had to carry them 10 miles up a mountain. I learned that every item you take camping must have a multi-use purpose and it's okay to get dirty. So when you're looking for hiking backpacks there are a few things to keep in mind: the pack weight, the pack's weight limits,  extra compartments, cost, and comfort for both baby and hiker. The kind of backpack that will work best for you will depend on the kind of adventuring you intend to do so I've gathered options for hiking deep into the woods and a couple that would work for a day hike.

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